Scientific name - Ceratopteris thalictroides

Common terms - Sumatran fern

Geographic origin - Pan Tropic

Type - rhizome

Max. size (height, width) - H = 15 - 30cm W = 10 - 20cm

Lighting required - Low to very high ( 3WPG + ) I keep mine at 2 WPG...

Temperature - It can survive and grow in temps of low 20'c... It prefers 24 - 28'c ( I keep mine at 26'c )

Water chemistry requirements (pH, hardness) - very adaptable... 5 - 9 pH ( I keep mine at 6.8 ) and a GH of around 10 dGH...

Growth rates - very fast ( quickest grower in my tank... It reaches the surface within 1 - 3 weeks )

Demands - As long as you have moderately good lighting, then the plant is easy to care for...

Additional info - Strong lighting and CO2 naturally helps this plant to grow quickly... As it is a fast grower ( and can deplete the water of large amounts of nutrients ) it is a good algae - preventer... Highly effective in my planted nano and a good contrast with the other plants... No algae issues and I am on week 3 ( beginning of 4! )

The plant can grow out of open-topped aquariums and can form surface leaves... This fern can grow quite large and after approx. a year, may die off and new plantlets will grow in its place... like so many ferns...

mlawson is also correct in saying that this plant can and does grow in brackish water...

This plant's rhizome needs to be above the substrate (like many ferns) and will rot if left under the gravel for too long... I put mine in the substrate to begin with and then, when the roots had taken a firm hold, I pulled the plant slightly and the rhizome is now just above the gravel...

The plant also produces new plantlets and they eventually break away from the mother-plant... This can recult in many new plants...

This post has been edited by Corin Castle: Jul 4 2007, 04:27 PM

May I note that it can be kept in Brackish water. In india it has been seen in mangrove swamps where it becomes emerse at low tide and submerse when the tide comes in. It should be able to cope with a SG of 1.010 or less.